Banned on the Run: 20 Shocking Classic Album Covers [NSFW]

Join us as we take a look at 20 of the most shocking, banned classic album covers of all time.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors (1977)

Three days after this album’s October 20, 1977, release, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed en route to Baton Rouge, LA. The accident claimed the lives of the pilot, copilot, Skynyrd’s assistant road manager and three band members: singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines. Out of respect for the survivors and the victims' families, the original cover image—featuring the band in a ring of fire—was replaced with a respectful, though funereal, band image.

Mama Lion - Preserve Wildlife (1972)

The wildcard of our list, Mama Lion’s Preserve Wildlife cover featured the singer nursing a lion cub. In a move to prevent confusion, as much as objection, the final version of the album was issued with a cutaway cover that obscured the cub-to-jug action.

Pantera - Far Beyond Driven (1994)

The original art for this groove metal gem included an anus being impaled by a drill bit. After the album was banned under new censorship laws, Dime & Co. went with the now-classic skull-impaled-by-drill bit motif. Perhaps that was just their way of telling the government it had its head up its ass.

Poison - Open Up and Say...Ahh! (1988)

This glam-metal album boasted a cover with a female demon sticking out a massive Gene Simmons-style tongue. After much fuss from church and parental groups, the black bars were added to hide the offensive tongue. (Unfortunately, Simmons was spared the same treatment.)

Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)

Roger Waters’ solo concept album about a man’s midlife crisis went to press with a cover that featured a rear shot of a female hitchhiker, wearing nothing but a red backpack and high-heels. This impractical travel wear didn’t win points with censors, and subsequent pressings received black bars over the woman’s backside.

America isn't the only country the covers were changed in, and it's not like the government banned any of these anyway! The record labels forced the bands to change the covers, so I'm not sure where you are getting this whole "we aren't free" idea from here.

I still have my Mom's Apple Pie album that I found in the cut-out bin in the '70s and bought after giving the cover a second glance. Haven't had a turntable in years and can't remember what they sounded like. I out to sell it on Ebay, maybe I could make a few bucks.

The original cover to Golden Earring's "Moontan" was censored as it contained nudity on the front and back. The front was a stylized topless girl with a big ostrich feather, while the back was the singer (from the rear) with someone in an asbestos fire suit resting his elbow on the singer's shoulder.

I once came across it in the most unexpected place, a super discount (as in junky) store that had a small record section. It's the album with "Radar Love", their one big US hit, but there were a number of other songs that were really great. In fact, the album only had 5 songs, all long.

I saw them live twice, the first time opening for Robin Trower and then they opened for Santana the 2nd time. Both shows were great and they were much better than the headlining acts, or so was the consensus of the people who'd been there that I talked to. They played essentially the same set each time.

If you get a chance, check out YouTube for a live version of "Big Tree Blue Sea". That was always my favorite song. After nearly 40 years I still like it . . .

I think they were one of those bands that prefers touring over the studio and has less radio-ready material. I fully agree that they've been underrated. Those who do remember them usually think of "Radar Love", or "Twilight Zone", and stop there. I'm definitely glad I got to see them when I did.

Here's my favorite song, Big Tree Blue Sea, live from the time period when I saw them: http://tinyurl.com/af642qk

First thing I thought of was also "Mom's Apple Pie," (which I LOVED when I saw it)! But almost no one's ever heard of it, apparently. You and me, SR71, and that old band! It's a funny thing: I agree with not offending people. I myself don't write offensive lyrics, for example. But I DO lament the loss of a little outrage, and a wilder sense of humor than many people have. Zappa, The Beatles, Stones and many others relied on it, and it gave us surprises and laughs along the way. Now so-called "shock" is normal, and incredibly boring, and unrelenting "PC-ness" is the at-least-equally-boring order of the day. I wish we COULD come back to a little visual outrage, where we again have the ability to be creative, laugh a bit at ourselves, and wake others up as we go. Happy New Year!

One obvious bit of "no one will stock this" cover artwork you missed was the HEADACHE EP by Big Black. The version you'll find in stores today has a weird looking cartoon of a fist coming up through someone's skull, but the original cover was far more offensive -- it featured autopsy photos of a man whose head had been split in half by a shotgun blast. Both covers can be seen on the page linked below, but don't click on the links for the "limited edition" cover if you're easily freaked out: